The present application describes systems and techniques relating to reuse meta information in electronic documents, for example, meta information embedded in a Web page to indicate reusable components of the page.
Various advances in networking technology have created a revolution in communications and information exchange generally. This has been especially evident with the advent of the World Wide Web, where a client-server environment, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) have expanded the possibilities for information systems and public dissemination of content. Web-based technologies are increasingly being adopted by organizations to communicate with their members and customers, and also to restructure and integrate their own information technology (IT) systems.
In general, a Web-based information system uses a client-server environment to disseminate information. A client-server environment is a network architecture in which clients generally rely on servers for resources. The resources provided by a server can be files, devices, database access, processing power, etc. Thus, a server resource is frequently referred to as a service (e.g., a Web service). Resources are typically provided in the form of an electronic document (e.g., a page) delivered to a requesting client. A received document is rendered by the client, such as by a Web browser rendering an HTML page, to present audio/visual content.
In addition, the document used to communicate information can be dynamic in one or both of two senses. First, an HTML document can be dynamically generated at a server using one or more information sources. A requested URL (Universal Resource Locator) can result in a different page being delivered to a client depending on information associated with the client, such as client location, time of day, pages previously viewed, and/or a client profile. Second, an HTML document can exhibit dynamic behavior after it is delivered to the requesting client. Extensions to HTML allow Web pages to react to user input without additional requests being sent back to the server.
Various tools have been developed that facilitate the use of Web-based technologies. For example, GoLive® software, provided by Adobe Systems Incorporated of San Jose, Calif., is a Web publishing tool that facilitates Web page authoring, website generation, and website management. Adobe® GoLive® software provides a graphical user interface used to create HTML documents, including dynamic HTML, that form a complete website. GoLive® software includes features to facilitate website design and management, including the ability to create HTML components of commonly used objects on a website: such HTML objects are designated in generated HTML files using the GoLive® <csobject> tag.
Moreover, various markup language specifications are being developed based on XML (eXtensible Markup Language) to facilitate the expansion of Web-based technologies. An HTML page is an example of a document designed to be rendered at a client. HTML generally describes how data should be displayed and mixes data semantics with data presentation information. XML describes information, generally addressing data semantics while ignoring issues of presentation and formatting, which are left to XHTML (eXtensible HTML) documents. XML documents are extensible: the underlying grammar is defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), but the tags may be defined by users of XML.
The various markup language specifications under development include RDF (Resource Description Framework), RSS (RDF Site Summary), PRISM (Publishing Requirements for Industry Standard Metadata), and ICE (Information Content Exchange). RDF is a language, including an XML-based version, for representing metadata about a resource (e.g., a website) to facilitate automated processing of metadata on the Web. RDF attempts to be domain neutral in order to support platform-independent exchange of machine-understandable information on the Web in multiple areas of endeavor, such as in resource discovery (e.g., to enhance search engine capabilities) and cataloging (e.g., describing content available at a Web site). For example, RDF can be used to provide metadata describing a website's sitemap, dates of updates, search-engine keywords, and intellectual property rights.
RSS is an RDF-based metadata format used to syndicate Web content. A website can enable others to republish some of the website's content by creating an RSS document. This RSS document can be a comprehensive catalog of syndication information for an entire website, and can be registered with an RSS publisher. If a client can read RSS-distributed content, the client can readily republish the syndicated content, such as news feeds, events listings, news stories, headlines, project updates, excerpts from discussion forums, or corporate information.
PRISM is an RDF-based metadata format used to describe content, interchange, and reuse. PRISM uses namespaces and controlled vocabularies to support syndicating, aggregating, and post-processing of content, including multi-purposing magazine, news, catalog, book, and mainstream journal content. PRISM provides a framework for the interchange and preservation of content and metadata, a collection of elements to describe that content, and a set of controlled vocabularies listing the values for those elements.
ICE is a protocol that manages and automates syndication relationships, data transfer, and results analysis. The ICE protocol can be used by content syndicators and their subscribers to manage syndication processes using an agreed upon content syndication vocabulary, such as that described in PRISM. The ICE protocol defines the roles and responsibilities of syndicators and subscribers, defines the format and method of content exchange, and provides support for management and control of syndication relationships.